Efforts to transform 1.5 miles of Beach Boulevard
Anaheim, Calif. – The rebuilding of Beach Boulevard is gaining steam with plans for dining, shopping and neighborhood services at the long-empty corner of Beach and Lincoln Avenue, which is now coming to life with homes and retail as part of Anaheim's effort to revitalize the heart of west Anaheim.
Pending finalized leases, plans for the 39 Commons retail center call for an In-N-Out Burger, a drive-thru Starbucks, an additional drive-thru restaurant and stores and services.
39 Commons
A grocery store and other uses are also set for 39 Commons with details on those expected in coming weeks.
"The change on Beach is real," Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu said. "The plans going before our Planning Commission would bring some neighborhood favorites to the area with even more to come. Along with new homes going up, this will transform this important corner and inspire change all the way down Beach."
The initial retail plan calls for 21,654 square feet of retail space on 5 acres. Most of the restaurants and stores would be along Beach north of Lincoln with a portion facing Lincoln as well.
Anaheim's Planning Commission approved plans on Monday. The Planning Commission considered a site plan for restaurants and shops and conditional-use permits for the proposed drive-thrus.
The 39 Commons retail center is expected to start construction in early 2023.
Problems of Beach
The project is part of Rebuild Beach, our effort to transform 1.5 miles of Beach into an inviting, walkable, livable street with thriving businesses.
The problems of Beach are all too familiar to nearby residents, businesses and anyone who has been to the area.
They include human trafficking and prostitution, hard drug use and distribution, illegal gambling, transiency, blight and other public safety and quality of life issues.
Long term, Anaheim is looking to redevelopment to transform the area, just as we have seen in downtown Anaheim, the Anaheim Resort and the Platinum Triangle.
Redevelopment is happening now and will play out over the next few decades.
In the near term, we are targeting improvement projects including new streetlights and undergrounding of overhead utility lines.
In the meantime, we also are addressing daily public safety issues with targeted enforcement, high visibility cameras and by working with residents and businesses.
We are also working with motels to improve operations and working with other businesses to improve the appearance of commercial buildings.
Redevelopment
At Beach and Lincoln, construction is underway on Nolin, a community of 65 townhomes with green spaces, a dog park, barbecue areas and a playground.
Models at Nolin opened in April with construction set to wrap up later this year.
The 39 Commons retail center would be built alongside the Nolin community.
Across the street, at the southeast corner of Beach and Lincoln, a former hardware store and other retail buildings were demolished in April as preparation for redevelopment.
That followed the demolition of the Americana Motel, a car wash and former Mexican restaurant in October.
Redevelopment is set to include market-rate townhomes as well as affordable housing with plans in development.
The demolitions were done beforehand to address nuisance issues and to clear the way for redevelopment.
You can learn more at Anaheim.net/RebuildBeach.